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Ordoria
Ordoria is a major country in the mod, and currently one of the two nations in the mod to have a unique focus tree, the other being Holzbrenn. It is located in the middle of Latherin, occupying a spot between Rthauiaur (with whom they are in a state of civil war), the Grand Master's Realm and the Ungerdaler Union, specifically bordering the Freiprinztümer of Holzbrenn and Stahlhof. Ordoria's lands are completely covered in sweltering jungles, making them formidable defensive positions. History A Fall from Grace Once a great power that held sway over the entire jungle between the Northern Plains and the city of Stahlhof, Ordoria's fortunes began to turn with the arrival of the Grand Master, [[Arthenon|'Arthenon']], and his subsequent conquest of what is now the Grand Master's Realm. This created a power to rival Ordoria right on their northern border, and the proud nation had to spend ever more resources on skirmishes with the Realm. Over the years, this sapped Ordoria's strength, pulling troops away from the southern border to aid in the defense against the Grand Master. Sensing weakness, [[Freiprinz Schwarzenbach|'Freiprinz Schwarzenbach']] of Stahlhof pounced on the weakened Ordorians, slowly moving the border northwards. Losing more and more territory, Ordoria grew ever more bitter and resentful towards the world, becoming less and less open to outsiders. Eventually, a devastating defeat at the hands of Arthenon in the [[Battle of Dorissus|'Battle of Dorissus']] (or the Humiliation at Dosynnis, depending on who you ask) proved too much for the Ordorians. In a grand speech, Isvenith Lothinnys, Steward of King Valinthir, proclaimed Elven perfection, blaming the country's losses on seditious foreign elements. His charisma swayed many generals to his side, and when the Church officially began backing Lothinnys' claims, the country fell under the sway of Puritanism and the doctrine of Elven supremacy. Though Galerin Valinthir is still officially the King and nominally in charge of the country, Lothinnys and his Traditionalists control all aspects of the government. Rebels in the East But not all Ordorians were willing to listen to the ravings of a broken Elf. In the East, a part of the country that had always seen less conflict with the outside world, many defied the Steward's demand that all 'vermin' were to be removed from the country or executed on the spot. A significant number of Elves risked their lives by hiding Humans, Halflings or Dwarves in their homes. Traders smuggled non-Elves over the border to the Free Stronghold of Skaelinger, a Dwarven nation that had been watching the developments in Ordoria with growing concern. This all culminated in the Proclamation of Unity, colloquially known as the Quellion Proclamation. An anti-Traditionalist, radical philosopher and scholar by the name of Alucien Derathur wrote a five-page treatise, beginning with a scathing condemnation of the government, a message of support for non-Elves in the nation and closing with an open call to arms, urging the people of Ordoria to rise up and overthrow the Traditionalist regime. In the dead of night, his Proclamation finished, he hammered it on the gates of Quellion's city hall. The next day, the city was in open revolt - what started as a riot ended in a revolution when the guards sent to deal with the protesters switched sides and placed Quellion's governor under house arrest. Derathur's message spread like wildfire, with abridged flyers being made and passed around in every city throughout Ordoria. Though most rebellions were stamped out rather quickly, the rebels took control of Thurgithon and Vuid very nearly fell to the revolutionaries as well - only the timely arrival of the 4th Bladesingers prevented a rebel takeover. Crucially, the revolutionaries seized the Loris Pass, the only easily traversable route between Thurgithon and Quellion, as the Khorinor Mountains blocked the most direct route between the two rebel cities. The Rthaur Revolution With the battle-lines drawn, the uprising moved from rebellion to organized civil war. Derathur was elected as First Speaker of the Rthaur Assembly with an overwhelming majority. He and his Rose-Bearers, named after the flower they hung on their doorpost to indicate support for the revolution, began implementing their Rosite program throughout what became known as Rthauiaur - an Ordorian word that means 'of the commoners', initially used as an insult by the Traditionalists but taken and worn as a badge of honor by the Rosites. (Rthaui means 'peasant', and -aur is a suffix that indicates possession). However, the revolution was far from secure. Though the initial surge of popular support and the occasional defects from the town guards were enough to secure the cities, almost no army units had supported the revolution, and the Rthaur lacked trained troops or equipment to fight off the Ordorians. Their saving grace turned out to be the Dwarves of Skaelinger - High King Ystvigg Hellirfast, deeply disturbed by the Ordorian fall into Puritanism and sensing an opportunity to secure his borders against an existential threat, declared support for Rthauiaur, sending supplies and troops to fight off the Ordorian armies. His Dwarves turned the tide - not enough to secure a final victory, but enough to guarantee the Loris Pass, Thurgithon and Quellion for the Rthaur. Since then, the Elves of Rthauiaur and the Dwarves of Skaelinger have formed a deep bond of trust and loyalty - just another reason for Ordoria to despise the Elves of the East. It has been two years since the Quellion Proclamation, and Ordoria's government is still in chaos. Out of the Puritan's de facto coup, three factions have emerged: the Puritan imperialists of the Traditionalists, still led by the King's Steward, the Faithful of the Ordorian Church, espousing much the same views as the Traditionalists but with a more religious bent, and King Valinthir's Moderate faction, less worried about 'demi-Elves' than they are about territorial integrity and Ordorian hegemony over Latherin.